A knifeman has been accused of attempting to kidnap a 14-year-old girl in Southsea, Portsmouth

The alleged predator, of no fixed address, was arrested after members of the public alerted police to a suspicious man following and attempting to stop and talk to the teen in Southsea, Portsmouth on Wednesday.

He has been remanded in custody to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court later.

A Hampshire Police spokeswoman said: "Our advice to the public remains the same - stay alert but not alarmed. Remain vigilant and remind children and teenagers of stranger danger. Report anything or anyone suspicious to 101, or call 999 in an emergency."

TAKEN IN BROAD DAYLIGHT

The girl was playing in Pointers Field, off George Pope Road in Norwich, around 4.30pm on Friday when the alleged abduction took place.

Paul Barton, 32, of no fixed address, has been charged with kidnap and will appear at Norwich Magistrates Court today.

Inspector Nik Hewitt, from Norfolk Police, said: “We are in the early stages of our investigation and while I understand the details of the incident will cause concern among the community, I would like to stress the motive of this attack remains unclear and incidents of this nature are rare in Norfolk.”

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